|
November 12, 2008 - Minutes of Erosion Committee On November 12, 2008 a meeting was held at 2:00 p.m. in the Jury Impaneling Room. This was attended by Larry Skiles, Jeanie Turk, Diane Nelson, Vivian Todd, and Elinor Burris. Diane Nelson has been added to the committee, as she is willing to serve. The undersigned also attended, and there will be other new members, Ms. Julie Burns, and Bill and Kay Neild. We discussed numerous subjects as follows: - EROSION RETARDING MEASURES. The 4 ½ feet above mean sea level is the new GLO setback line. We should encourage all governmental authorities to seek all available measures on the Gulf side of Bolivar Peninsula. This would include plants and trees which are saltwater resistant, both on the beach and in the water, if turbidity of the water can be lowered. There is no way that planting or objects can stop a hurricane or a tropical storm, but PROPER PLANTINGS AND PLACEMENT WILL ENCOURAGE SAND TO BE DEPOSITED ALONG ITS NATURAL EROSION ROUTE AND THE BEACH AND S UBSURFACE SEA FLOOR WILL ACCUMULATE BANKS OF SAND. This is cheap. We need breakwaters(see Holly Beach, LA., Gabions), and regs keeping vehicles off in most areas. In that way storms of all dimensions will at least face a first line of defense and be slowed down or retarded to a certain extent. Unfortu nately we have only recently come to this realization, but there is no sense in looking back. What’s gone is gone and there is a good deal of land left. It will require some readjustments and adaptations by all concerned. Vivian Todd is to do research on plantings (See paragraph 10)
- POLITICAL PRESSURES need to be kept on the Governmental authorities. Galveston County has a different set of priorities from the General Land Office. However, the General Land Office has the exclusive statutory authority to deal with beach matters, and while we don’t necessarily agree with every single item that they do, it is probably for the best in the long run. At this particular point in time Hurricane Ike has gotten everyone’s attention, and we all need to pull in the same direction. Jeannie Turk will be in communication with Tuffy Hamilton, and the local Reps to the Legislature need “A Touch”. This time we intend to be major players. Yesterday I found out a fellow cow-calf producer, Bob McCan of Victoria was appointed to the Coastal Coordination Council, term exp ires May 31, 2009. The CRC is the agency which approves coastal grants for projects (e.g., Beach renourishment, geotube, etc.). Can we sponsor one or more appointments or projects?
- HIGHWAY 87. The bad news is that the rate of loss south of Highway 87 now exceeds the available real estate, that is to say the rate of loss is exponential, whereas the realty is there on a diminishing arithmetical formula, HENCE PROTECTION OF THE BEACH BY THE GLO IS PARAMOUNT TO EVERY OTHER CONSIDERATION, whether or not realty is available to be built on. In the future improvements like waterlines, electricity, etc. will be subject to a well planned beach and dune area. Some people, even college professors have misconceptions of what is going on on Bolivar Peninsula erosion wise, but the Bureau of Eco nomic Geology at the University of Texas, and perhaps others, have a good handle on it and have observed it since at least fifteen years ago, when the beach erosion litigation commenced, if not longer. The GLO is using their expertise.
- THE SECTION OF LAND remaining east of Roll Over Fish Pass to Highland is so far gone that it is not redeemable as a construction site for any improvement. However, it is extremely important that it be given a chance to build back up and protect, because as part of the beach protection, the beach is no stronger than it weakest link. Not to mention that is the weakest part of Highway 87.
- LARRY SKILES OF IMAGE-PRO volunteered to prepare brochures and PR information at his shop. (Larry and Fran just completed a fine, upgraded map for Bolivar, and all 15,000 copies were in the C of C office at Crystal Beach)
- MOST OF THE GEOTUBE IS GONE. We do not remember what category of hurricane it was rated for, and w e would like to know that. There is no question that the geotube served a limited purpose ONLY in preventing the further withdrawal of the vegetation line. On the other hand it probably caused more beach erosion seaward of the geotube than was anticipated. Certainly the sea bottom has suffered in that area and the large deposits of 20sand in the offshore bars have been reduced to ten or twenty percent of their former selves, and the geotube is there because of Roll Over Pass. That’s a double hit.
- The GALVESTON BEACH EROSION TASK FORCE needs some upgrading and representation from different parts of Bolivar Peninsula other than the Gilchrist Community Association, which is perhaps not functioning at this time. In any event, that particular group had a very narrow focus, and County Judge Yarbrough needs to be asked to include people from Crystal Beach, Caplen, and High Island and perhaps other groups that are involved in the remedial effort on Bolivar Peninsula. The GCA only protected Roll Over Fish Pass. This group reviews and submits money requests to GLO. There will be no more funding requests to cover geotube.(every 18 months at $1.5 mil. per)
- GOAT ISLAND - the Corps of Engineers should be asked to open the spoil bank through the top of Goat Island. It is the opinion of many observers that the tidal surge hit the spoil bank along Goat Island and caused excessi ve flooding by not letting seawater through over and around the spoil on Goat Island. If cuts were made at various locations, perhaps storm water would go through (no doubt it would cause erosion of the spoil, but at least it would help prevent harm on Bolivar Peninsula).
- AGAIN, HIGHWAY 87 IS OF THE GREATEST IMMEDIATE CONCERN. The encroachment is occurring faster than we thought. It is extremely doubtful that by next spring Highway 87 as we have known it will be passable, consequently in the next two or three months we need an immediate, repeat immediate, temporary solution to the section between High Island and Roll Over Pass for Highway 87. While hay has become dear in some quarters, it is available and we may have to use it. However, we need eight miles of protection, and it will be difficult to sustain that kind of costs on a temporary basis. As far as permanent construction of Highway 87 is concerned we are not knowledgeable enough to make a recommendation, but we have opinions. If the present right-of-way is used it will save the State money for acquiring right-of-way. It is our strong suggestion that no matter where Highway 87 is located, that it be elevated. We do not know the cost ratio in raising a Highway on columns three feet or ten feet. Nevertheless it should be raised, if for no other reason, it will offer a chance for first responders, fire equipment, police and ambulance services to get above the water and protect their equipment to a certain extent. Moreover, it is possible that that area beneath the bridge could be utilized as a storm break in some way.
- Speaking personally, our seven acres at Caplen was overgrown with tall shrubs, some as high as 7 to 8 feet. As it turned out all of that wild undergrowth retarded the flow of the surge and a great deal of sand dropped out of the surge. Consequently we have about 3 feet of sand above grade on 7 acres that we have bulldozed back and have enough sand to use in even pushing some back on the beach, upon which w e have formed a protective curve with broken concrete, north of the old geotube location. It is fairly obvious that those sites and properties that mowed their grass, wound up with very little sand. It just passed over the highway and wound up in the marsh and in the Inter Coastal, perhaps a recommendation could be made for people to plan t so that in the future sand would be trapped – no doubt it would encourage mosquitoes, skunks, and other varmints, but it would be helpful to the stability of Bolivar Peninsula. Those critters are there regardless.
If there are any additional questions or comments, feel free to contact me by way of the email, I told Judge Wortham we were having a committee meeting and that we were prepared to address the meeting on November 12, 2008. However, there was so much information already there, I didn’t insist that we make a presentation.
|
Official Updates 
